Changes in gene-expression during development of the murine molar tooth germ

In a matter of a few days the murine tooth germ develops into a complex, mineralized, structure. Murine 30K microarrays were used to examine gene expression in the mandibular first molar tooth germs isolated at 15.5dpc and at 2DPN. Microarray results were validated using real-time RT-PCR. The results suggested that only 25 genes (3 without known functions) exhibited significantly higher expression at 15.5dpc compared to 2DPN. In contrast, almost 1400 genes exhibited significantly (P<0.015) higher expression at 2DPN compared to 15.5dpc, about half of which were genes with unknown functions. More than 50 of the 783 known genes exhibited higher than 10-fold increase in expression at 2DPN, amongst these were genes coding for enamel matrix proteins which were expressed several 100-fold higher at 2DPN. GO and KEGG analysis showed highly significant associations between families of the 783 known genes and cellular functions relating to energy metabolism, protein metabolism, regulation of cell division, cell growth and apoptosis. The use of bioinformatics analysis therefore yielded a functional profile in agreement with known differences in tissue morphology and cellular composition between these two stages. Such data is therefore useful in directing attention towards genes, or cellular activities, which likely are worthy of further studies as regards their involvement in odontogenesis.     

人Shh基因重组过表达慢病毒载体的构建与鉴定

目的构建人Shh基因过表达慢病毒载体,转染293T细胞,建立稳定转染人Shh基因的293T的细胞系。方法设计引物引入AgeI酶切位点,使用PCR方法从质粒中扩增Shh基因的编码区序列,对所扩增出的目的片段回收纯化。将AgeI内切酶消化后目的片段交换连接人pGC-FU载体,构建Shh慢病毒表达载体pGC-FU-Shh。酶切验证并测序正确后,将质粒pGC-Fu-Shh与携带GFP的慢病毒辅助包装载体共转染293T细胞,荧光显微镜检测慢病毒载体转染细胞的结果,重组质粒pGC-Fu-Shh的测序,Westernblotting验证Shh在转染293T细胞中表达。结果转染293T细胞后荧光显微镜,24h后观察到绿色荧光蛋白的表达,基本判断Shh表达,说明转染成功。重组质粒pGC-FU-Shh的测序Shh基因片段大小1386bp。通过Westernblotting检测转染293T的样品,可以观察到72～95KDa处条特征带与Sbh融合蛋白相吻合,判断Shh表达。通过PCR扩增获得了Shh基因,将Shh克隆到慢病毒转移质粒pC-C-FU中,并在293T细胞中包装产生慢病毒颗粒。结论成功构建了pGC-FU-Shh-GFP慢病毒过表达载体,获得了稳定转染的细胞株。     

Primary cilia mediate sonic hedgehog signaling to regulate neuronal‐like differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells for resveratrol induction in vitro

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into neuronal‐like cell types under specific conditions. The classical antioxidant inducers such as β‐mercaptoethanol (BME), butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA), and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) are limited in clinical because of toxicity. Resveratrol, a safer, natural antioxidant, can stimulate osteoblastic differentiation of MSCs. However, its effect of inducing MSCs to differentiate into neuronal‐like cells is less well studied, and its differentiated mechanisms are not well understood. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling, mediated by the primary cilia, is crucial for embryonic development and tissue differentiation, but relatively little is known about the role of Shh signaling and primary cilia in neuronal‐like differentiation of MSCs. Here we show that primary cilia, harboring patched 1 (Ptc1), are present in growth‐arrested MSCs and that smoothened (Smo) and Gli1 are present in cytoplasm of MSCs, which are important components of the Shh signaling pathway. After resveratrol induction, MSCs acquire neuronal‐like cell morphologies and phenotypes, Smo translocates to the primary cilia, Gli1 enters the nucleus, and expressions of Smo and Gli1 proteins increase, which can be inhibited by cyclopamine, a Smo antagonist. Meanwhile, Smo agonist (SAG) attains similar effects compared with the resveratrol group. These data indicate that resveratrol can induce MSCs to differentiate into neuronal‐like cells and activate Shh signaling pathway in the primary cilia. Moreover, the primary cilia and Shh signaling are essential for resveratrol inducing neuronal‐like differentiation of MSCs. Our finding is important for understanding the neuronal‐like differentiation mechanism of MSCs for resveratrol and promoting its clinical therapeutic utility. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Soluble factors from neuronal cultures induce a specific proliferation and resistance to apoptosis of cognate mouse skeletal muscle precursor cells

The mechanisms or the physiological events, which control the regeneration of skeletal muscle through muscle precursor cell multiplication and differentiation, are still largely unknown. To address the question of the involvement of neurons in this process, skeletal muscle progenitors were grown in the presence of conditioned media obtained from 3-day-old cultures of embryonic neurons (derived from either the dorsal or the ventral region of 11-day-old mouse embryos) or media conditioned with satellite cells. Strikingly, only satellite cells cultured in medium conditioned from ventral embryonic neurons exhibited increased proliferation, as well as resistance to staurosporine (STS)-induced apoptosis. Our results suggest the existence of specific anti-apoptogenic neural soluble signals, which could be involved in skeletal muscle regeneration pathways.     

Shh mRNA在成年大鼠慢性压迫性脊髓损伤后的表达及其意义

目的:观察成年大鼠慢性压迫性脊髓损伤后与发育相关的重要分子Shh mRNA的表达,探讨其在神经再生过程中的作用.方法:将30只同龄Wistar大鼠置入后路渐进式压迫装置,制作成慢性压迫性脊髓损伤模型.随机分为对照组(5只)和慢性脊髓损伤组(25只).应用原位杂交检测方法,于脊髓损伤后1,3,7,14,28 d对损伤区行Shh mRNA检测.结果:脊髓损伤后7 d,Shh mRNA表达水平达到最大值,在损伤区至远端10 mm处的灰质和白质中均有表达,这种高水平的表达至少维持到损伤后28 d.Shh mRNA在室管膜细胞的表达远远低于在灰质和白质中的表达,其在室管膜区域的表达仅限于损伤区域周围5 mm范围内,分布范围远远小于在灰质和白质中的表达.结论:慢性压迫性脊髓损伤可激活Shh mRNA的表达,其表达对脊髓损伤后神经细胞再生的意义值得进一步探讨.     

Exencephaly induction by valproic acid in the genetic polydactyly/arhinencephaly mouse, Pdn/Pdn

Non-treated homozygous polydactyly/arhinencephaly (Pdn/Pdn) mouse fetuses exhibited exencephaly in 16.7% of cases. Treatment of Pdn/Pdn mice with 350 mg/kg of valproic acid (VPA) on days 8.5 and 9.5 of gestation increased the rate of exencephaly to 66.7%. The responsible gene for the Pdn mouse phenotype has been determined to be Gli3, and the suppression of Gli3 gene expression has been documented in Pdn/Pdn embryos. We investigated how the sonic hedgehog (Shh) and Fgf8 genes, the correlated genes of Gli3, are expressed in the VPA-treated exencephalic Pdn/Pdn embryos on day 10 of gestation, using whole mount in situ hybridization (WISH) and real-time PCR methods. We could not detect any alterations in Shh expression by real-time PCR, or WISH in the non-treated Pdn/Pdn and VPA-treated exencephalic Pdn/Pdn embryos. Altered Fgf8 expression patterns were observed in the commissural plate and dorsal isthmal neuroepithelium in the non-treated Pdn/Pdn embryos. We speculated that the altered expression of Fgf8 might be the result of down-regulation of Gli3 in Pdn/Pdn embryos. Fgf8 gene expression in the commissural plate and dorsal isthmal neuroepithelium exhibits wide or altered signal patterns in the VPA-treated exencephalic Pdn/Pdn embryo. From these findings, it was suggested that down-regulation of Gli3 gene expression induced the altered expression of Fgf8 in the Pdn/Pdn embryos, and that VPA treatment accelerated the alterations of Fgf8 gene expression in the Pdn/Pdn embryos. It was further speculated that altered expression of Fgf8 in the commissural plate may be the fundamental cause of exencephaly, and that the synergistic effect between gene and drug shown in this experiment may explain the differences of sensitivity in the side-effects of the drug.     

Non-cell-autonomous signaling by Shh in tumors: challenges and opportunities for therapeutic targets

Importance of the field: The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway is required during many developmental events; in adults the Hedgehog pathway is involved in the maintenance of several stem cell niches. It is therefore not surprising that aberrantly regulated Hh pathway activity can cause birth defects in the developing organism, as well as neoplastic disease later in life.

Areas covered in this review: As a consequence of the involvement in pathogenesis, the Hh pathway components are subject to an intense scrutiny as potential targets for therapeutic agents. We aim to provide an overview of the biology of the Hh proteins and the cellular response, in conjunction with potential therapeutic interventions.

What the reader will gain: Specifically, we focus on the recently discovered non-cell-autonomous Shh signaling used by tumors and the implications of this for the design of treatment strategies. This should provide the reader with up-to-date knowledge on the role of the Hh pathway in tumor progression and the options to treat these malignancies.

Take home message: An important concept that we advocate in this review is the need to recognize the need to target both the stromal and the tumor compartment in malignancies that rely on paracrine Shh signaling.     

局灶性脑缺血大鼠纹状体区域Shh信号通路成分的表达变化及对髓鞘修复的影响

目的检测Sonic Hedgehog(Shh)信号通路及其转录因子Gli1在局灶性脑缺血后不同时间点的表达变化,探讨该通路对脑缺血后髓鞘再生的影响。方法线栓法建立大脑中动脉闭塞(middle cerebral artery occlusion,MCAO)模型,使用免疫组化和RT-PCR的方法观察脑缺血后1 d,3 d,7 d和14 d Shh,Gli1的表达变化。碱性髓鞘蛋白(myelin basic protein,MBP)是髓鞘的组成成分,用作髓鞘的标志物,观察脑缺血后上述各时间点MBP的表达变化。结果正常大鼠Shh和Gli1广泛分布于脑白质和灰质,如皮质,胼胝体和纹状体等区域。Shh和Gli1的表达在脑缺血后3 d~14 d呈逐渐上升趋势。MBP的表达在脑缺血后1 d~28 d逐渐下降。结论脑缺血性损伤可激活Shh信号通路,激活的Shh可能通过调控细胞的增殖参与神经修复,针对Shh的表达量进行干预治疗将为脱髓鞘疾病的治疗提供理论依据。